Princess Rising
by CompanyXLovesXMisery
Summary: Sequel to my famous NightStar! Life seems great for Freshman Mar'i Grayson aka Nightstar, but when Joker returns from jail with Slade and a kid named Spider and an old friend returns from the grave to wreak havoc will our princess rise above it all?
1. We're The New Face Of Failure

**um, wow...I haven't wrote anything for F.F in like 2 weeks which to me is forever. Um, I need some plot structure for Finding Courage so if anyone wants to help a poor author with writer's block out leave it in your review.**

**Dedication: To my friend Lauren who wouldn't shut up until I wrote this and to my first month in Highschool!**

**Don't own anything **

* * *

"You have a visitor." A grave voice bellows from the other side of the barred door. 

"Great! Bring him in! I'm _dying_ to see another human face." A tall lanky man appears out of the shadow his powdered face shining in the light. A small man no less then 15 with huge coke-bottle glasses and a rather old looking man with an eye patch and a very long beard walk in both with a malicious smirk on their face.

"Who are you? What do you want? And why the hell are your glasses so big?" The pale faced man inquires. The old man's smile just grows.

"We are merley proposing you a deal. You remember Nightwing right? Well, if we free you can take him down for once and for all" A barely audible 'hmm...' is coming from the pale man.

"Alright. I just need the names of my new acomplices. You must know my name if you found me" The boy and old man step closer into the light.

"My name is Slade Wilson and this is-"

"Just call me Spider."

* * *

_My heart is yours!  
_

"WAHHHH!!!!" I fall off the bed and hit the carpeted floor with a _thump!_ My Titan communicator is flashing brightly. I sigh and reach for it on top of my nightstand.

"This better be good." I mumble as I stand a pair of amythest eyes shine brightly on the other side.

"Can't a guy call his girlfriend and say hello? Geez! And to think I was going to ask you to go to the movies with me and mention we have a criminal on the lose." My eyes widen and I cross the room to my closet and search through my mounds of clothes for my suspersuit.

"Do we got a name?" I ask as I stumble over my boots.

"Nah, New guy but the guy in the circus-ringmaster outfit looks extremely familar."

"Give me the location and I'll be right there."

"Alright. Phantom out."

* * *

I arrive at the scene of the crime and stifle a gasp. Is that? No way. He was in jail. Dad put him in there fifteen years ago. That bug eyed creep must've busted him out. I don't have time for this today either, I have to focus on my Spanish quiz today. I fly down swiftly and silently my feet barley making a sound on the concrete.

"Ah, so you actually survived our last encounter. I'm shocked that the bird actually managed to save you and your beautiful mother." He sneered turning around.

"I don't want to deal with you now. Just give up and everything will be easier on you." I light my starbolts and look quickly for Brendon.

"Looking for the ghost are we? Well, well, well no shock there. His eyes are to _die_ for aren't they baby bird." His voice makes me want to curl up into the nearest blanket.

"Where is he?!" I throw a starbolt at him and he dodges it with little effort. He makes a 'tsk' sound in the back of his throat and wags his finger at me dissaprovingly.

"Patience, Patience. I swear kids today have none of it. Now if you want to find the ghost your going to have to pass my acomplice Spider." He moves to the left and the bug-eyed loser stalks behind and smiles at my lust covering his green eyes. My starbolt grows brighter and legs come out of his back. I shudder in disgust, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Spidersgross. I fly at him and take down his one hairy tranachula-like leg making him fall on top of me. He smiles widely and tries to kiss me and I knee him in the groin. he rolls off of me in pain. I hit a pressure point and knock him out. I fly towards the man who should still be in jail grab him by the collar and throw him in the wall my starbolt dangerously close to his face.

"I beat him. Where. Is. Phantom?" He chuckles and snaps his fingers in an instant Brendon appears where he was and he's on top of a nearby building carrying Spider(still uncosious) by the collar.

"Take him baby bird. We already got what we needed. Tell daddy I said 'hi' would you?" Brendon looks at me puzzled underneath his black cape.

"Who the hell was that?"

"Today after school. Round up all the Titans we're gonna need to have a meeting." I say releasing him and looking at the place they both got away. I start to fly home when a warm hand grabs my ankle.

"Ah, ah, ah. You're not going anywhere my love, until I get some goddamned answers." I sigh and float down. He looks at me expectantly.

"That was some new loser villian-in-training named Spider and.." My eyes turn a deep blue once again.

"And...?" He pushes.

"The Joker."

* * *

**SNAP! what's gonna happen next?!?!!?!!?!?! Only I know!!!! MUHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!**

**Love ya,**

**Philly**


	2. Swear To Shake It Up

**um, wow i gotta update other stories besides this one i feel really bad. OMG! I'm gonna sound like a nerd but did anyone see robin's origin in the T.T.G comic besides me yet? Star and Robin were like making out at the end w/ B-man watching from afar(isn't he supposed to be in Gotham?) AND ROBIN REMOVES HIS MASK!!!!!(in front of Star! take that Rob/Rae shippers!) You still don't see his eyes but still... PLUS HE CRIES!!! ok anyways on to the disclaimer!  
**

**don't own anything.**

* * *

"And in other news, we have just received word that there has indeed been a break out at Arknahm Asylum earlier today. Citizens of Gotham are asked to lock they're doors and windows until ---" 

"Wow...So that's why Joker's here in Jump. How'd he make it this far without getting caught?" Brendon asks from my right.

"It doesn't matter. I will stop him. Thanks for the info Batman, we'll be in touch." The dark night from the other side of the screen nods and disapears into blackness.

"So basically we've got a crazed ringmaster with green hair taking revenge on the Graysons alongside some spider-looking geek our age?" Miki sums up. I nod numbly my eyes clearly focused on the computer screen in front of me. I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and pull away long enough to look into a pair of concerned aubergine eyes.

"Mar, relax it's not that big of a deal. We'll take him down like we've done to oh, so many people the crowds will cheer and in the end they'll just be another crime to fight. You need to ease up." I narrow my eyes at my fiance' and a frown makes it's way to my features. He didn't care that there's a phsyco on the loose.

"Calm down? We have a criminal who tried to kill my entire family, myself included, and your telling me to CALM DOWN!?" Brendon looked taken aback for a moment before he regained composure. He took me by the wrist and dragged me away from my work an the other Titans. Once he knew they were out of earshot he let go and stared at me angerly.

"You're doing it again Mar'i. You're going into Robin-mode and it ends now. I understand you're under a lot of pressure trying to live up to him and everything but I miss my Mar'i Grayson. The one who giggles at my jokes and loves to have fun." He gives a small smile and when I don't give one in return he looks as if someone ripped out a part of him. He grabs my left wrist and holds my hand to the light, a silver ring decorated with opal and ameythest shimmers in the light.

"Mar'iand'r Grayson I gave you this ring out of the love of my heart. It was a promise. A promise that you will be with me for the rest of my life and vise versa. And once again out the love of my heart I'm asking you to stop." I look at everything but him. I know and understand what he's saying but I just can't bring myself to admit it.

"Mar'i dammit look at me!" I look and see his eyes brimmed with tears. I look away and reclaim my wrist from his warm hand silently missing the warmth.

"We have a criminal to catch." I tell him flatly and walk through the doors to the hallway that leads to the Ops room and hear Brendon punch the wall and curse to himself. I allowed only a single tear to drip down my cheek before I went back into the Ops room my mind focused for once not on the mission at hand but Brendon and the main question was:

Does this really affect him THAT much?

* * *

The hallways bustled with noise and people as I made my way to my locker deep in thought. I unlock it and grab my books on auto pilot my mind still focused on the conversation between myself and Brendon, I'm so focused that I bump into someone and fall hard onto the ground. Everyone on the floor had heard the bang and turned towards me and the kid I had yet to see. I look up to apologize and gasp in shock. No...He can't be here. He-He's dead. Brendon runs over to me to pick up my books and by that time everyone resumes what they're doing. 

"Mar, babe, you ok?" I look at him and he smiles. I look back into the sea of people. He was gone. Or maybe I'm really stressed out. Brendon places a small kiss on my temple and helps me up.

"C'mon we gotta get you to class." he extends his arm and I take it numbly my mind focused completely on that kid I bumped into. It's impossible. We did kill him because he-- I couldn't get myself to say it.

"Brendon?" He looks over at me puzzled.

"I'm s-s-...s-o--sor-" He puts a finger to my lips to 'shhh' me.

"Apology accepted, princess." We walk into homeroom and get separated because of name order. I still want to know how he managed to get all his classes with my own but I don't dwell on it.

"Ok! Good Morning kids, we've got a new student in our homeroom please make him feel welcome." At the sound of 'him' the girls immdetitly start passing notes, while the guys talk quietly about 'initiation' into their class. While I sat there doodling Brendon's name into my notebook and decorating it with hearts. He walks in and the girls giggle widely and I drop my pencil. My heart in my throat and tears prickling my eyes. No, no, no no, no! Not him! I looked over at Brendon who seemed like he was sensing some sort of energy, his purple eyes focused on nothing but him.

"Class I would like to introduce--"

"I don't believe in introductions like that Ms, um.. Whatever your name is."

"It's Ms. Balchach!" She says seemingly angered.

"Yeah that. I'll just take my seat." He walks down my isle and takes the seat behind my own.

"Well, well, well. Remember me Princess?" He whispers in my ear as our teacher talks about soda tabs and what's going on in school this week. I try so hard to focus on Ms. B. and not his icy cold voice.

"Ah, chainsaw cut off your tounge Marie? Or should I call you Princess Mar'iand'r? Or even future Mrs. Logan?" I small growl escapes my throat and when the bell rings to go to first period I'm out that door faster than you can say my name. Brendon calling after me. I reach my Theology class and release a small scream of surprise. Behind my seat sat that bastard! He was grinning happily at me lowering his sunglasses a tiny bit to get a better view of my face.

"Mar, everything ok? You booked out of homeroom." Brendon asks, his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, just didn't want to be late." He looks at me his eyebrow raised sexily. And I use all my strength not to kiss him.

"Theology only two doors from Homeroom Mar."

"Um, Well you never know what's gonna happen right?" He looks at me puzzled and I run to my seat.

"So do you remember me yet you highness?" He asks ask Mrs. T takes attendance.

"Leave me alone!" Hiss back at him. He shuts up and I sigh. A note flops on my desk and all I want to do is strangle him! I open it slowly and all it reads is '_Remember me yet? I'm dying to know." _Can't he leave me be?

"So do you? Do you truly remember me?"

"SK SHUT UP!" I yell.

* * *

**Oh, yea i brought SK back, If You don't like it, fight me. And a lot of you might be asking 'how?' details in later chapters I live to mess and confuse you guys!!! It makes my job so much more fun! **

**R&R!!!!!!**

**Love ya,**

**SuperJGirl5**


	3. Romeo and Juliet

**Take a chance, Take your shoes off, Dance in the rain...**

**Um, wow...This story hasn't been updated in I don't know how long...Fans of this I apologize.**

**Oh, Katie E., if your reading, which I know you are, You are a migrane giver! I hope your happy I updated this for you!.**

******OH! GO OUT & BUY **_Pretty. Odd.(if you haven't already), _**PANIC AT THE DISCO's(they dropped the " ! ") NEW CD!**

_I MADE A GAME IN THIS CHAPTER! FIND THE PRETTY. ODD SONGS I HIDDEN IN HERE AND THE WINNER GETS A PRIZE!!_

******Standard disclaimers apply here.**

* * *

"Miss Gray! We DO NOT use the "shut up" word in this classroom!" Mrs. T. yelled angrily at me.

I grinned sheepishly, "Won't happen again Mrs. T.! I promise!" She smiled kindly and went back to grading papers.

"Yeah, Marie. such foul words from such a small mouth." S.K whispered from behind me. I cringed. He was an absolute bastard! The bell rang & I praised God happily skipping to my next class, algebra.

HE.

WAS.

THERE!

For the next half hour I endured annoyance beyond comprehension. Brendon would glance my way every now and then, concern (and...pain?) in his purple irises and I would give him a small, somewhat reassuring, smile in return.

S.K followed me for the next four classes, I was beginning to think maybe faking sick would be a good idea. Maybe I could fake sick, go home and beg Mom and Dad to take me to another far away school, like Alaska, that would be nice.

We were in English class happily working in groups of two on '_Romeo and Juliet_' when I had noticed something. Brendon looked pallor. Well, worse than usual. His skin was a snowy white and his eyes looked heavy.

"Brendon? Brendon, are you alright? You look sick." I commented, my voice laced with concern. He gave a sharp nod.

"Yeah...I'm fine...Let's keep working..." He picked up his pen with trembling fingers. I grabbed his hand. It was ice. I shivered at the touch and pulled away quickly.

"You need to go see the nurse. Go get a pass from Mr. Tramline." I commanded worriedly. He shook his head 'no'.

"I told you...I'm fine...It's just a little cold in here. You don't have to worry." He gave a pained smile and went back to writing in his copybook. I sighed knowing I couldn't change his mind and went back to my work as well. Did he always take such deep breaths?

"Okay. I think Romeo's tragic flaw is that he's too impulsive. It seems logical doesn't it Brendon? The examples are fairly obvious too. He fell too quickly for Rosaline, then he claims to love Juliet and-"

"Please, his tragic flaw is that he's emo." S.K calls from behind me. The hairs on my neck went up. "He cries like a baby over Rosaline, and then he acts like there's no life besides Juliet, and then he kills himself. He's like the O.E.K, original emo kid. He's why your pet is the way he is." He glanced a Brendon. "I mean this dude looks like he's starving himself." He laughed at his horrible attempt at a joke.

"Shut up S.K, you're not in the least bit funny." I scolded him. "Go away. No one wants you here." He bent down to my ear, his icy breath chilling it.

"I'm not leaving anytime soon. Get used to it." He whispered coolly. "I'm so starving..._We're _so starving..." His voice scared me. It was gentle but you could feel the malice hidden behind it. He sat back up in his chair and continued working. I sat there dumbfolded.

Brendon shook me out of my reverie. He lurched over, his hand placed over his heart, panting for air as he did so.

"Brendon!?" I jumped out of my chair and ran to his aid. Mr. Tramline not far behind. Brendon fell off the chair and into my arms gasping, begging for air. It was as if he was trapped underwater for an extended amount of time and just emerged to the surface. His body twitched and convulsed like it was trying to force something out of him.

"Set him down on the ground Maria!" Mr. Tramline commanded. I willingly set him down on the ground, belly up, but kept his head in my lap refusing to let go.

I felt something warm slide southward on my face. Tears. I was crying. A northern downpour of tears where making themselves welcome on Brendon's smooth icy face.

Mr. Tramline called the ambulance, people were talking around me, petrified of the scene unfolding before them. His perfect fingers clutched again and his body shook once more. Suddenly, all the talking ceased. Were my sobs of agony really that loud? I hadn't noticed in the mixture of pandamonium. It finally clicked why they had become so silent. A small, pained voice spoke. A voice so unlike his.

"Mar'i..." he gasped his body convulsing. "Do...Do you know... what I'm seeing?" He asked slowly. I shook my head.

"A woman..dressed in blue...and she's on the sea..." he coughed blood. "She's...a handsome..a handsome..woman.." I would have laughed had the vision not been so terrifing.

"I also see.." he heaved more crimson liquid. "...Satan...That green gentleman.." he tried to snicker...Key word is tried. it came out more like a hoarse gasp. " He's envious...Envious that...I have friends...in holy spaces." he offered a painful half smile, his body getting colder. "The one in blue..she's smiling...Laughing, it sounds like..."he gagged. "wind chimes...it's a...warm welcoming laugh... Behind the sea...I see..peaceful light..." He looked up curiously. "...I'm going...to die...aren't I?"

"No. No. I..I p-promise you...Why aren't...y-y-ou healing yourself." My voiced cracked, coming out in a whisper and I felt a lump deep in my throat form.

"I...I..don't...Know...I try...and..it..makes it...hurt worse.." He wheezed.

Suddenly people were pushing my love away from me. People in white. They took his cold body away from my warm own. They placed him on a hospital gurney and hauled him away, the class following behind and part of my heart going with them.

I felt numb. I couldn't cry anymore. My tear ducts, having been dried out. So I just released pained whimpers.

"Bring him back.." I whispered painfully. "Bring my love back to me...please..."

I heard a noise then. Laughter. It reminded me of a piano; it sounded beautifully melodically evil. I looked up to see S.K laughing by the door, his sunglasses shining brightly.

The piano knows something I don't know. And I will find out what that is.

"Mar'i! Come on! Brendon is in trouble!" April runs through the back door, her purple hair flying about behind her black headband, tears down her eyes as well. She lifts me up and we run as fast as we could to her brothers aid.

* * *

When we arrived at the hospital I shivered at the smell of latex and sterilizers. Hospitals gave me the creeps. There's only one _good _memory about the hospital.

_My __first kiss._

**-FLASHBACK-**

* * *

_It was the first time in my life I saw him without the band loving thing going on. He was in a long sleeve black shirt with baggy jeans and his black vans. The first two buttons of his shirt was undone and he smelled like axe. He had another dozen blood red roses in his hand making him look like he was going on a date with the linoleum floor which he was currently knelt down on, his raven head looking down._

_"I can't believe she's not here." I heard him whisper to himself over and over._

_"Who's not where?" I ask from the bathroom doorway. His head whips around and he stares at me. I don't blame him. I mean if I just saw a 14 year old girl in ducky flannel pajamas I'd stare too._

_"MARIE!!" he yells happily and scoops me up into his painful embrace. I decide to change my tactics a bit considering I was supposed to be asleep._

_"Um…I can't really….. Breathe right now….I mean not…. that you'd care or…any…thing" His grip loosens. "What are you doing here anyway, I thought you hated me?" He blushes and becomes extremely nervous._

_"Well, I uh, um, w-w-anted t-t-o make s-sure your ok." He voice is very shaky._

_"But you came in today to do that." I replied. Only then did I realize how close together we are. Our noses where almost touching._

_"I know but….." He trails off and his eyes widen. I think he noticed how close we are too. I look up into his amethyst eyes staring at them in wonder. They are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life and I think I was becoming lost in them. He stares into my sapphire eyes as well. I'm beginning to think that April is right about her brother liking me. 'Well' I told myself, 'Only one way to find out.' And I closed the gap between us._

_I was in a state of pure bliss when my lips touched his. At first he didn't respond but a few seconds afterward he was kissing me with such passion I thought I might explode from happiness. His tongue pried open my mouth and I willingly let him in as our tongues battled heatedly he ran his hands down my back and my toyed with his hair. Heaven and Euphoria, I felt like I was in air. We part for needs of oxygen and as I touch my now bruised lips, he looks down at my feet._

_"Mar...Um…you're floating." I laugh thinking it was a joke but the look in his lavender eyes made me question if it was so I look down with him._

_"I'm floating!?" and sure enough my feet were two inches off the ground. But suddenly I drop to my feet._

_"Care to explain?" He looks at me. I haven't a clue to why I floated so I shrug._

_"Maybe we're both just tired." He looks like he's going to argue but just let's go of me and heads towards the door._

_"So what does that make us?" He asks._

_"Pardon me?" I'm completely confused. I grip my locket once more out of habit._

_"We just kissed. Well um.." he blushes "We did a little more than kiss, so, I'm wondering, what does that make us?" He questions again._

_"It makes us boyfriend and girlfriend I guess. I—I mean i- if you want to be." I say back a blush making its way to my cheeks. He walks over to me and bends down so he's eye level with me. Darn the height difference! He places a butterfly kiss on my cheek and pulls away my blush upgrading from pink to bright red._

_"I'd like that." He walks over to the door again and opens it "The doctor said they'll let you out tomorrow so I'll see ya in school on Monday Shortie." With that he closes the door behind him._

* * *

**-END FLASHBACK-**

That was a turning point for everything. I had went to April's house that Friday after met who I know call team mates, was reunited with my father, went on a whirlwind adventure and finally returned home with my mother.

But now, the only feeling I got from this was despair. We ran through corridor after corridor, myself almost flying, to find Brendon.

We ran into a waiting room where we found Mr. and Mrs. Logan holding onto each other, Mrs. Logan had tear stains on her cheek and Mr. Logan was trying not to let any salty water droplets loose.

"Mom! Dad! Is he okay?" April's strained voice reached my ears. Mrs. Logan's aubergine eyes looked downward and fresh tears made their way into her eyes.

"April, you might want to sit down." A deep voice spoke sadly. I look up to see my own father. His ocean eyes troubled. April did as ordered and my mother walked over and kneeled before her speaking in hushed tones to her.

April was as mad as rabbits.

she wailed loudly clinging to my mother for dear life, most likely staining her shirt. Her shoulders shook violently and I turned away from the pained scene.

I just noticed how crowded this small room was. Wally, Jazz and their parents stood in a corner nervously talking with one another; Miki sat upon her mother's lap holding her father's broad hand in her long slender one, her eyes distant; Terrance Harper stood pacing nervously by the vending machine, his mother expressionless as always and his father looked on nervously at the clock. It was nine in the afternoon. Had time really flown that quickly?

The room was almost silent aside from Terrance's pacing and April's sobs. A doctor finally emerged from a nearby pair of doors, scanning the room quickly.

"Marie Gray?" He asks I step forward hesitantly, he smelled of salty metal, latex, and sterilizer(like the rest of the hospital). The salty metal scent I identified as blood. "He wants to speak with you alone." He says and opens the door he came through I follow through silently. He leads me to a door and leaves me. My hands tremble as I turn the handle and push the door open softly.

I almost cried.

Tubes hung from him like a spider's intricate web. I walked over and his eyes gently opened. He gave me a slow pained smile.

"Hey." I smiled slightly and paused for a bit staring at his perfection. Even this close to death he looked like a god.

"How's it... going.. Mar'i? How... are they?" He asked, still gasping. I walked to the edge of the bed and intertwined our fingers.

"They aren't taking it so well, April especially. But I don't understand why, I mean after all, you _are_ going to live." I gave an empty laugh. Trying to convince myself. "You're too strong to die on a stupid hospital gurney. You wouldn't leave me either. You promised yourself to me for an eternity. See?! The ring! You promised...You promised..." I sobbed lightly and his icy hand glided up from my hand to my cheek wiping the tears away.

"I was...going..to die...eventually...whether...It was now...or when I became 86..It's inevitable," He spoke softly, "I'm..not..going to lie..I'll be...gone...very soon...Forgive-" He wheezed heavily as blood spewed from his mouth. I ran over and wiped his mouth clean of his O- blood cells. And he gave me a small smile. His amethyst eyes sparkling with pain and gratefulness. "-Forgive me...for not...keeping my promise..." His icy trembling hand reached under my chin and he pulled my face close to his. I could smell the metallic bloody scent on his breath but I could care less.

"I...want..to quote...Shake..Shakespear...for...you..." He whispered as if we weren't alone. He stared deeply into my sapphire eyes. He connected his soft cold lips to my warm own in a chaste manner, him savoring every moment of it as was I. He pulled away.

"'Thus...with a kiss...I die..'"

* * *

**Intense much? I haven't written in so long, I needed a little painful angst to get me going again!!**

**If you love me you'll review!!**

CHECK OUT THE POLL IN MY PROFILE!!

**Love Ya,**

**SuperJGirl5**

_Credit to: Panic at the disco/ William Shakespear's 'Romeo and Juliet.'_

* * *


	4. Putting the 'Fun' in Funeral

**Crowds are won, lost, and won again but our hearts beat for the die hards...**

**Hey everyone! Sorry I've been out of commission most of the summer!! ( I truly am!!)**

**OTAKON 2008 ROCKED!! Can't wait for next year!! D**

**This is an extremely early B-day present for Katie E. who is like one of the few people who still actually read this so **

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

**So on with the show!**

Disclaimer: Do not own Teen Titans, DC comics, The Joker, Batman comics, The Dark Knight or any other thing used in this story.

* * *

No...

No...

This is just a sick joke. I'm getting Punk'd. I have to be. Ashton Kutcher is just going to walk through that door and everything's going to be alright.

If only...

His heart monitor confirmed that with a long monotone _beeeeeeeep_. The doctors ran in trying to save a lost cause while I sat there, empty. I stared at his pallor face, so calm, so peaceful, so unattached to the cold world. A state only death could bring. I felt nothing. Heard nothing. Spoke nothing. I just stared at him. His black hair was messy and unkept. His alabaster skin was more pallor then I ever believed possible, only slightly tainted by his blood. Brendon's perfect aubergine eyes were covered by his eyelids. And his lips were set into a peaceful line.

The doctors started to maneuver me out of the room and I let them. I couldn't bear another minute near Brendon's lifeless body. I was about to find the nearest chemical and inject it in myself if I stayed any longer. The doctor pulled me aside when we were nearing the waiting room.

"He's dead, isn't he?" I whispered. The doctor said nothing.

"Why couldn't you save him?!" I shouted, my body surprisingly racking with anger. "You let him die! He was only sixteen years old and you let him _die_!" My hands were starting to tint blue and my eyes had already overflowed with angered tears.

"Yes. I did let him die," The doctor's dark voice rang. "But I wouldn't worry too much. You'll die too, soon enough."

I froze. He laughed a laugh that has haunted my father for years.

My rage overtook me.

I grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall. He fell, laughing hysterically, to the floor.

"Now, now baby bird," He mocked. "Let's settle this like civilized human beings."

"There is _nothing_ civilized about _you_, Joker." I growled and gave him a kick to the stomach. He laughed once again.

"You are so correct, my little canary! And ya know? I blame my father. You see, my father was a heavy drinker and never one to smile at me. As far as he was concerned I was a mistake." He started to get himself on his knees. "And I craved his attention, I just wanted to have him smile, just once. So one day I gathered all the china in our china cabinet, ya see? And I grabbed a couple of poles and practiced spinning the plates on them for hours until my father came home. When he arrived I asked him to watch what I could do so I brought all the china and poles into the parlor to show him. But, my dog ran by me and I accidentally dropped all the china and it went smashing to the floor."

I dimly heard a_ click!_ But otherwise ignored anything besides controlling myself. We were around civilians after all, and I wasn't in my costume.

"My father became furious at me for dropping the priceless china, and he must have been drunk because his angered words were slurred." He was standing now, slowly backing me into a corner without my notice, his hands behind his back. "Then my father picked up a sharp, jagged piece of the broken plate..." He slowly moved his hand from behind his back to show a shining pocket knife, waiting to be used. My back hit the corner. "And my father backed me against the wall and grabbed my arm..." He grabbed my upper arm tightly with his other hand. "And he slowly dug the china into my skin so I could feel the every inch of the pain pierce me." He brought the knife to my skin and slowly dug in. My arm trying to squirm out of his iron grasp, my blood slowly oozing out from the puncture. I whimpered at the pain.

"Squirming won't work, baby bird," he cackled. "I've handled your mother and father, I can handle you...Now where was I? Ah, yes! So I screamed, begged for my father to stop the pain and he leaned into my ear and whispered..." The Joker leaned into my ear, acting as if he was his father, he dropped his voice low.

"Not frivolous now?!" He jammed the knife deeper into my arm and I screamed in agony. He broke into hysterics, his head flipping back as he laughed. He took the blood drenched pocket knife out of my arm. and clicked it back into place, still laughing. My blood raced down my arm and pooled at my feet, crimson staining the linoleum.

"Well, it's been a riot kid, but I've got a date with a old guy, a spider, and an emo kid, so ta, ta!" He clapped his hands and in a poof of smoke disapeared. I ran quickly to the nearest supply closet and stitched myself up followed by wrapping it in gauge before facing my friends and family.

* * *

**One Week Later...**

My black dress dances lightly in the cold November wind. I look up at my father, his midnight blue eyes hard and cold, he's listening to what the priest is saying, one of his warm hands in mine the other in my crying mother's. I had no more tears to cry. I had used them all up in this past week and even if I tried to cry my tear ducts were bone dry. So I listened to the priest in silence my heart as icy as the wind, my anger and sorrow barely controlled. I can't fly anymore so I've been late to school more often than not. And I've been late to school because I can't sleep at night anymore only in the daytime, and barely then. I've been losing weight cause I can't eat anything and my grades have been dropping.

I never told a soul about my encounter with the Joker, I wore long sleeves to hide the gash on my arm. Besides they don't need to know how Brendon really died. It wouldn't help them any more than it's helped me. They didn't need to know that The Joker did something to kill him. The doctor's told them he just had a hemorrhage. That would be enough.

Mrs. Logan tried her hardest to keep her emotions in check but every now and again you would see a tree limb break off in the distance or feel the ground shake beneath your feet. Mr. Logan was trying to calm her down while retaining the Beast from escaping. In the past week Mr. Logan lost all his good humor. His eyes no longer sparkled a brilliant jade, the were the dim color of olive.

But I wouldn't dare look at my best friend.

* * *

**Flashback**

_"He...He's dead.." I whispered, tears streaming down my face, "Hemorrhage...I-in his lungs...They couldn't..." I fell to my knees in broken sobs. A couple light bulbs broke around me. I should have told them that he was murdered, lying kills you faster though. And boy did I feel like dying.  
_

"_This is _your_ fault Mar'i!" April shouted at me. I looked up, stunned._

_"You...you think I killed your brother?!" My eyes went blue, "Why would I let them kill Brendon?! I loved him, I still love him! Why would I--"_

_"You didn't get him here fast enough! He could have been fine if it weren't for you!" She screamed at me, her forest eyes full of hate, tears flowing freely down them._

"_April Arella Logan!" Mrs. Logan scolds, "How could you think that of Mar'i? She would never-" She never got to finish her speech though, because April ran out of the hospital in a whoosh of purple hair._

**End Flashback**

* * *

She looked over at me and glared. I just looked down at my feet.

"...So now we bid our parting to a dear son, a loving brother, a best friend, and a caring boyfriend, Brendon James Logan. May he rest eternally with the angels in peace." The priest finishes. I look up to see him close his book and step back to let the family and friends lay flowers on his coffin. He hated flowers. He only enjoyed giving roses to me. So instead of laying a flower on his grave, I take off the ring that had decorated my left hand for a month and lay it on his coffin, right about where his heart would be. It sparkles in the sunlight. The inscription shining brightly.

_'As promised.'_? Yeah, right.

I walk over to a tree to wait for my parents and to give myself some space from the crying crowd. The wind rustles through the empty branches and sends a small chill through my body.

"Ya know, I've been known to put the 'fun' back in 'funeral'." I turn, frozen in a mixture of anger and fear. S.K smiles darkly, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, as he turns from the other side of the tree to face me.

"What did you do to him?" I whispered. S.K chuckled.

"Eh, not much. A needle here, a drawing of blood there, it was quite easy to find the right thing to kill him after we gathered enough information." He shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

"So, you are teamed with the Joker and his gang," I laughed without humor. "You're just a pawn." S.K seemed careless still.

"I'll get out of it, like I did with you and the Titans...Always have a back-up plan or you'll end up six-feet under like ol' purple eyes over there." He pointed over to Brendon's coffin.

"Show some goddamned respect for the dead!" I screamed at him. He just smiled.

"Why show respect for something that can't reply back?" His smile turned into a grin when I growled.

"You're sick in the head, do you know that?" He nodded once at my question and laughed.

"I learn from the best."

"Why are you even with the Joker?" I questioned. He shrugged again.

"Got nothing better to do after I left Arkham," He paused to look at me seriously before quickly retaining his uncaring nature. I pondered over his scrutiny.

"How did you not die on Tamaran?" I questioned.

"A magician never reveals his secrets madame." He leaned casually against the tree and crossed his arms. I heard my dad calling my name and stepped back away from my interrogation.

"I should arrest you, right now." I told him.

"You should." He replied. There was a long pause between us. We both know that for some reason I couldn't.

"Marie! There you are!" Dad said relieved as he reached the oak tree. "Oh, is this a friend of yours? He looks familiar..." He stuck his hand out in greeting. "Richard Grayson, it's a pleasure." His hand waited for S.K's. To my utter surprise S.K took his greeting.

"S.K, very nice to meet you as well." He smiled at my shocked expression.

"Well, let's get going Marie. Very nice meeting you S.K." Dad said as he ushered me to the car.

"Bye Sir, Bye _Marie_." He laughed. I ignored him and went into the car.

"Well, he was different. He felt like ice." My dad spoke rubbing his hands together. I shrugged my shoulders.

If only he knew how different...

* * *

**Well, that's another chapter down. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!**

**Now be nice and review!! **

By the way, Mar'i's depression will show up in the next chapter. She's kind of in a denial stage right now.

**REVIEW!! AND YOU SHALL HAVE CAKE!!**

REVIEW!!

**Love Ya,**

**SuperJGirl5**


	5. Killstreth, Elena, and Quinzel

**RAWR!! **

**Back in action with not much time to spare so on we go!!**

**Don't own anything used in my stories! Not even S.K...he belongs to my lover KAtie I love her soooooo much and if it were not for her you would not be getting this update cause im using her computer!! WHY AM I NOT HER!? **

**Er...Sorry, Katie's a little bit hyper right now. She basically attacked me to write that, and I'm too lazy too backspace it all... -.-; ...**

**I need to find new friends...**

**...**

I didn't go to school the next day.

Or the next day.

Or the next.

The weekend rolled around and I was forced to go outside.

"We just want you to have a life again, Mar'i, " Miki told me when she came to take me from my home. The only problem was I didn't have a life without Brendon. I agreed after much force on Miki's part and headed off to Jump City Mall.

"So how about the pink one Mar?" Miki threw a bubblegum pink tank top at me. "It'd look great with those jeans."

"I'm not really into pink, Miki..You should know that by--" The store alarm suddenly rang out and cut off my sentence.

"What's going on!?" Miki shouted over the ringing.

"I'm not quite sure." We quickly dove behind a salesrack. Then I heard it.

The piano laughter rang out in my ears.

I peered through the mass of clothes only to confirm what I already knew. S.K was standing there laughing and ordering Joker's minions to take the money in the register. In his hand was a 22 milameter.

"Crap!" I whispered to Miki who was standing behind me, or so I thought, " We're outnumbered. We can't chan--" I turned a the sound of a high picthed scream.

"MIKI?!" I turned back and sure enough she was in a death grip by a beastly looking creature. I wouldn't really qualify him as a human. His muscles were more like a rhino's more so than a persons.

Rhino-man held Miki as if she were a loaf aoff bread rather than a one-hundred and ten pound thrashing teenager.

"Where's the other one Frank?! Are you really that stupid?" S.K shouted at Rhino-man Frank. Frank just put his head down and let S.K smack him across the face, all the while Miki was still thrashing about like a fish thrown on land.

S.K sighed and took three long graceful steps in my direction. He swiftly parted the clothes I was hidden behind and grabbed me, throwing me over his shoulder with great ease.

"Frank? Do you see her? _She's_ the one we need more okay?" Rhino-Frank nodded. "Douchebag..." S.K muttered under his breath. He passed me over to Rhino-Frank and I was instantly sickened by the smell of peppermint. Did Rhinos even eat peppermint? I was incased by his iron chains of arms and started thrashing as well. I might as well have been encased in cement. Even with my super-strength I could not escape from the Peppermint-eating rhino.

The Police arrivied after about five minutes of dealing with the overpowering scent of peppermint. They brought the german shepards that reminded me of Titan and guns that were as black and shiny as their boots.

Shots rang out and somebody screamed. I looked up at Rhino-Frank and he manervered me slightly so I could see what was going on.

Comminsioner Port, my dad's friend Vince who was once the local bike cop of my area of Jump, was holding his leg in pain. Sk was laughing happily, rolling on the floor in glee.

"Dude," He chortled. "I shot you in the leg. THE LEG!" He laughed harder and harder, his piano compistion of laughter becoming more and more complex. "I mean of all the fucking places! THE LEG!" He laughed again. The piano melody stopped aruptly when another gunshot rang out.

Comminsioner Port had just shot S.K.

And nothing happened.

S.K's laughter returned, the piano melody weaving through the air. He reached into his shirt where the bullet had entered and pulled something out of him and threw it on the floor.

A bullet, still intact.

S.K was immune to being shot. That's why he didn't die a year ago when he was supposed to.

"EWWWW!" Miki screamed, both of us still trying to break Rhino-Frank's peppermint-scented hold. "He just pulled it out of his body like it was nothing! That is disgusting!" S.K laughed harder. Rhino-Frank laughed along with him. Big mistake.

S.K's laughter stopped immedetily. Rhino-Frank, oblivious, still laughed, his deep chortle rumbling through his body.

"Frank..." S.K turned very slowly around to face us, His smile wiped clean off his face and his eyebrows creased, his jaw locked tightly.

Rhino-Frank stopped suddenly. His face full of fear. "Ye...Y-yes...sir?" He asked timidly.

S.K's voice was like cold steel, "Did you just laugh with me...without my consent?" I felt something wet it my shoulder, it smelled of peppermint. I stopped thrashing and looked up. Rhino-Frank's chin was shaking so much spit came out of it. Peppermint leaf flakes fell with it. I'll never eat peppermints again after today. I swear on my life, which I feared could end very, very soon.

Before I even knew what happened S.K was behind Rhino-Frank in an instant and had snapped his neck like a toothpick. He pulled Miki and myself quickly from Rhino-Frank's now dead arms. He smiled wickedly at my appaled face and pointed a gun to my head.

"Sorry love, I kill whoever I don't like. It's nothing personal really. You're a cool kid but I got orders ya know?" He laughed again and cocked the gun. I saw a brief image of Brendon in my head.

"So that's how it's going to be?" I looked up at him, not one ounce of defeat in my body just determination. Miki on the otherhand had different plans. She thrased against S.K's icy grip on her arm. I just looked at him.

"That's exactly how it's going to be, Elena." He replied. My eybrows rose.

"Elena?" I asked him puzzled. "Who is that? I'm Mar'i remember?" He looked confused for a moment. Before looking mad again.

"Shut up, Elena!" He shouted. Miki stopped moving, and civilians looked puzzled, looking at eachother and around the room searching for the Elena who wasn't even there.

S.K shook his head angerly and threw me into the nearest wall, Miki sailing through the air after me. He walked out of the store, then throwing the comminser out of the way along his way. His minions followed closely behind. One of them stopped and took money out of Rhino-Frank's wallet.

"Don't let them get away!" A cop shouted at his men, they all ran out of the store.

My bones ached as I stood up, "Miki, round up the team. We're taking a trip to Arkham Asylum." I said as stoically as my grandfather.

We arrived in gotham the next day. I had taken the stitches out of my arm and moved my arm band to that arm to hide the nasty scar that had followed.

Bruce Wayne had decided to grace our company today. We were just curious students on field trip. At least, that's what everbody thought. I looked over at April and gave her a small smile. She glared at me her emerald eyes hard and cold. I looked away.

" 'S' ok Marie," Wally whispers on my left. "She'll realize eventually. And then you two will be best friends again." He gave me a smile, his dimples showing against his freckled face.

"I don't think it will ever be okay." I said curtly and walked away from him headed towards my grandfather.

"Show we get to see the case files?" I asked him. He nodded shortly.

"Only for a little bit, I don't have long here. Shareholder's meeting today. You should join me, you might like the buisness life." I shook my head.

"That's not really my style Brucey old buddy," He frowned at my kidding. "Plus, I'm not really in the mood for even being here. But, hey, obligations first, right?" His frown grew more pronouced.

"I told you about falling in love with your team mates was bad. I told the same thing to your father. And he lost his wife for nine years. Nobody listens to me." I looked away from him and his scolding. He then put on a fake polite smile and walked in. We all did the same. My own was very forced.

"Ah, Miss Quinzel! It's been too long." Grandpa smiled and shook hands with a very beautiful woman. She was at least 5'7 with her blond hair pulled back into a low bun. She shook hands with him happily a grin as big as the chesire cat's on her face.

"Has everything been well Mr. Wayne?" She asked polietly her blue eyes sparkling.

"Everything's been great. Oh! Harleen! Before I forget this is my grandaughter Marie and her friends Michelle Stone, April Logan, Terrance Harper, and twins Wally and Jasmine West." She smiled kindly at us.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Especially you Miss Grayson. I've heard you've taken you're adoptive father's last name now correct?" She asked. I nodded. All part of the lies of double life. The story was I was adopted by Richard Grayson who married Kory Anders a month later. It was better then anything I could come up with.

"That's nice. You have a lovely family Bruce. But, let's keep moving shall we?" She gestured down the corridor and we followed. I looked into every cell, curiously. One lady was treating a plant like it was a god.

We walked further and further down the hallway 'till we came to a small door. Harleen unlocked it and looked puzzled.

"Why do you need this again Mr. Wayne?" She asked. My grandfather shook his head.

"Need to know basis Miss Quinzel, you know that." She nodded embarrasedly and opened the door.

"Only twetny minutes okay?" Grandpa whispered to me. I nodded. We walked into the Arkham file room and began our search.

About ten minutes later Miki had found S.K's Arkham files. I stole them from her quickly and read it aloud.

**Name: Killstreth S.**

**ID number: 20110410**

**Date of Arrival: August 25, 2007**

**Reason for arrival: Psycologically warped**

**Psycogolical problem: Subject claimed to have heard voices inside his head. Was subject to suicide attempts. Was subject to multipule illegal drug use.**

I paged through a couple pages of his mug shots. He stands at 5'7, his hair making about two to three inches of his height. His shot was odd for two reasons. One didn't surpise me as much as the other one did.

He was smiling. And his eyes were _red._

I gave a small shudder at the picture. It was extremely creepy. Underneath of the crimson eyes he had dark, almost black circles ringed around them. And his skin was almost as pale as snow. I closed the case file in haste to look away from his penetrating red eyes.

"Miss Quinzel?" Bruce called polietly outside of the door. She ran in happily.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne?" She asked, smiling.

"Would you mind showing us patient 20110410's cell?" He gave her his charming Bruce Wayne smiles. And she looked flustered before aswering a timid yes and we shuffled out of the room.

We came to a cell that was empty. The wall looked to be made of a one-way glass that was very, very thick. There was a hole in the glass that was about S.K's fist size. Doctor Quinzel stopped and turned to us.

"This is his cell. He was a very, very strange patient. I was lucky enough to be able to work with him. It was fasinating, really. He drew a lot of pictures of some woman named Elena, but he wouldn't tell me a word about her. He was very sarcastic for someone of his statre of mind."

"State of mind?" Wally inquired.

"He seemed very bipolar at times, but just not enough to diagnose him with it. He would be laughing and jabbing jokes one minute and he would steadily get more and more angry to the point of hysteria. It's a pity he escaped and killed that innocent security guard." She shook her head sadly, "I would have loved to examine him more. His mind was _so_ orginal. Even for a phsyco."

"Yeah...I can tell." I mumbled under my breath.

"Can you tell us anything about the murder?" Jasmine asked. Harleen thought for a moment before answering.

"It was a while ago. When we had that big breakout. You remember Bruce don't you? The gaurd, Pete Synim, was checking on this area of the ward and he got to Killstreth's room and Killstreth's hand broke through the glass and choked Synim to death. He escaped without trouble." She shook her head. "Well only one at a time in here I have to be in here with you too, sorry, regulations." I nodded.

"I'll go first then. I won't be long guys." I walked up to Doctor Quinzel and she opened his cell. We stepped through together.

I looked around. There were drawings everywhere. I picked the nearest one up. A woman was being burned at a steak. It looked so vivid, like I was there. You could almost hear her screams of anguish. I put it back on the floor. And picked up another one. The same girl was featured. She was not in pain though, she looked happy. Her eyes were red like S.K's and her silver hair was as long as my own. She was dressed as if she was back in the reiniscance. Her silver hair was as long as mine. Her clothes were that of a peasant, dirty and ripped but she had a sort of elegance about her. She looked somewat like myself. Her facial and body structure especially. I pocketed this one.

"I think that's all I needed Doctor, thank you." I turned to her, she stayed glued in front of the door.

"Nuh uh!" She shook her finger and me disaprovingly, "Puddin' told me to kill ya and that's exactly what I'm going to do! I have to make my puddin' happy!" She pulled out a gun. (what was with everyonne having guns?) and I stood shocked. I was an idiot.

Hareleen Quinzel.

Harely Quinn.

She pulled the trigger.

**...**

**Well that's it for now, I've been working on this for three days and I'm tired of it right now.**

**Love Ya,**

**SuperJGirl5**


	6. Soren's Story

**Hola mi Amgias y Amigos!**

**Ok, I'm only writing this again because I was promised Lego Batman if I did. So onward shall we?**

**Don't own anything exceot a fly Gryffindor hoodie dawg!**

**...**

**Yeah, I'm never trying to be gangsta again...**

Before I could even process what happened she was on the ground and the bullet had grazed my armband, cutting it in half and making a cut right above where my recent scar was. Blood was heavily trickling down it. I looked over at what had made Harley fall. Traffic light colors greeted me.

"Hiya Mar'i!" Tim Drake beamed at me. I gave him a puzzled look.

"What are you even doing here Tim?" He got up from where he had crushed Harley and walked to me.

"Well, Ol' Batzy told me to keep an eye on Arkham today so I was all like 'I can do it! You can count on me Batman!' So  
I figured, why not use the vents to check out everyones rooms without them having to be like "Crud, it's the gorgeous boy wonder!' so I was passing through this one when I kinda slipped and fell through, and I apparently just saved your life...So can the hero get a kiss from the damsel in distress?" I frowned at him.

"Not now Tim," I told him sternly. For a seventeen year old he could be very immature.

"So I can have one later then?" He asked hopefully. I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, whatever Tim." I looked down my arm, It was drenched in a sickening shade of crimson. "Can I go get my arm checked out?" He laughed.

"Yeah, let's go. I'm holding you to that kiss though Mar'i." I rolled my eyes at him and walked out. My gradfather accosted me with care.

"What the hell happened?" He asked.

"Get Harleen Quinzel a cell here. She's Harley Quinn." Bruce nods sharply.

"Do you need a doctor Mar'i? You're bleeding pretty heavily." Tim looked at my arm. It was worse than before. I felt lightheaded.

"Yeah...Let's get going" My head swam. I was losing too much blood. I stumbled walking, Wally caught me. Tim looked jealous.

"C'mon Mar'i. I got you." I gave him a pained smile and passed out.

**...**

I awoke hours later on a couch with my arm wrapped in white gauge. I looked up to see Alfred's smiling face. I sat up and my arm ached.

"Alfred, hi...Um, why am I in Granpa's mansion?" I looked on my other side to see Tim Drake sleeping in a chair, his black hair messy and flopped in front of his face.

"You fainted because you lost some blood, miss. Master Bruce brought you here to help you out." He noticed my attetion was drawn to Tim. "He hasn't moved an inch, miss." I must have had a strange look on my face because Alfred chuckled and shook his head. "He is crushing on you miss Grayson. But, I'm sure you would like see to your friends now, yes?" I shook my head.

"Tell them to meet me back in Jump City. I've gotta find S.K." I got up from the couch and streched, my muscles loosening.

"Talk to you later, Al. Love ya oodles!" I hugged him. "Tell Granpa I said bye and I'll see him at the Christmas ball thingy he has every year okay?" Alfred nodded.

"I love you 'oodles' too Miss, and don't worry I'll give master Bruce your message." He walked me to the door and let me out.

"Miss Grayson?" He called. I looked back.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Master Dick I said hello, would you?" I nodded.

"Sure, thing Al. Later!" I waved goodbye and left the mansion. I stopped and remembered something.

I can't fly.

I tried to search my mind for one good memory. I thought of when I found my mom last year and my feet hovered off the ground. I went through my entire adventure last year and after finding the best ones I flew home at a very slow speed.

Hours later, and tired I spiraled downward into the woods near my house. I fell into thorn bushes, slicing my forearm open. Thank God it wasn't a bad cut.

I got up and dusted myself off, searching for the best way home. I headed due north hoping I was going the right direction, plucking thorns out of my skin along the way when--

I was slammed up against an oak tree, an icy hand wrapped around my throat. I look up into a pair of light red eyes.

"S.K?" I choked out, he pulled my body away from the tree and slammed me back into it. A hiss came up out of his thoat, exposing fangs.

Wait a minute...

You could almost hear the click in my head as I put the clues together. Red eyes, invunabilatry, super-strength, the icy skin, and most importantly, the fangs.

S.K was a vampire.

His moved his head to my throat and stopped. He sniffed me and looked up.

"Mar'i? Fuck-nuggets...this was _supposed _to be my day off." He stood straight up and released his strangle-hold on my neck. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway Junior?" The name he used threw me off.

"Junior? What the hell? Now I have another nickname? Elana wasn't good enough for you?!" He laughed, the melody echoing off the forest trees. It wasn't his normal evil laugh, it was a laugh of humor.

"Nah, I just decieded this nickname about three seconds ago. You're like a little bite-sized female Robin, so your nickname from now on is Junior." I frowned at him.

"Oh yeah? Well...well...um..." I didn't know a good nickname for him besides pain in the ass. "You're a vampire!" Yes, I know it was a sucky comeback. He grinned flashing all his teeth, fangs included.

"Yes I am!" He chuckled. "And _you _were about to become my dinner. If I didn't know your scent you'd be lying here dead right now." That made me shiver slightly.

"Then why didn't you go through with killing me? Why did you stop?" I felt my neck to make sure he didn't damage anything.

"I told you, it's my day off. I'm not gonna kill you when I don't have too. Besides, your much more fun to try to kill when I actually realize it's you and not some unlucky hiker."

That threw me off guard. I decided to change tactics on how to handle this situation. I was just going to lunge at him and see what happened, but he wasn't doing any attacking today, well, at least not attacking me. And I still had that nagging feeling that I shouldn't hurt him. So...

"So if you're not going to kill me-"

"Today," he ameneded. I smiled.

"Right, today. Can you lead me back to my house?" He mock bowed and held out his hand.

"Of course M'lady, right this way..." He lead me in the oppisited direction I was going. We didn't talk for many minutes.

"So..S.K...Who's Elana?" He looked over, his face now angered.

"No one of consequence. At least not anymore." He looked up at the sky, I looked up too. Was it really nightime? Wow, I hadn't noticed.

"Okay, um..." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the picture of the silver-haired peasant and gave it to him. "Who's this?" He looked even more angered by it than the last question I asked him. He tore it to shreds within seconds. Paper rained on the ground.

"You know the answer to that one." He stated sinmply and walked faster I had to sprint to keep up.

"No, I don't and honestly you're really annoying me right now with all your stoic nonsense and your short temper." He looked over at me.

"How do you think you're friends feel?" Ouch. He just burned me. I looked at the ground, ashamed.

"I have a reason for being the way I am okay? You probably never lost a thing in your life! You probably never had something ripped away form you when you needed it most...you..never...never..." I broke down crying. I've never felt so vunerable before in my life. I needed Brendon more than I thought possible and he was taken away from me.

"Oh, SHUT UP!" S.K yelled at me. I looked up at him through tearstained eyes. "Don't talk about things you don't know Junior, because I've lost more things than you ever had okay?! So stop being so pathetic and actually get on with your life! I've been through the exact same thing as you have and look at how I turned out!" I looked up horrified at the thought of turning out to be like S.K "Okay, maybe that wasn't the best way of putting it..." He laughed at himself. "But seriously, just move on. You're what? Ten? Twelve?"

"Fifteen." I told him.

"Really?! You?! HAHAHHAHAHAHA!" He laughed. "I thought because of you're size you were just an overly smart twelv year old! Wow! Fifteen? Are you sure that's not your height in inches?" I glared at him.

"Be serious, please." I scolded him.

"Seriosuly, I'm being completely serious." His piano voice melting quickly into laughs " You need to go and buy a pair of stilts little one."

"Okay enough jokes on my part." I glared daggers at him.

"I can't help it! You're just so unintentionally funny!" He fell on the ground next to me holding his sides from laughing so hard.

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked him. His laughter stopped immeditetly and he looked at me seriously.

"Hm...Probably. I wouldn't put it past me." He paused. "What were we talking about again?"

"You were scolding me for mourning over my dead boyfriend, whom you killed." I glared at him again. He nodded.

"Right, right, right...Ah, Yes! Okay... I've lost someone even more dear to me than your precious Brendon. I lost somebody who didn't deserve an idiot like me to begin with. She deserved, much, much more. And When I tried to give her everything she was sentenced to death. And it was all my fault. So don't even start with tears. You don't deserve to have them."

I stared at S.K dumbfolded and once again found pieces to the never ending puzzle.

S.K lost soembody he loved, he ripped up a picture of a girl, he called me Elana...

"Elana was the woman in the picture wasn't she? She was the one who was murdered..." My eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.

"S.K...you must be at least a thousand years old!" He nodded.

"Yeah, I don't really keep track..." He shrugged his shoulders and we continued walking.

"So...Elana was your girlfriend?" I asked.

"No. She was my wife." He once again threw me off track.

"So, you two were peasants?" My mind was running around in circles trying to piece together what I knew from History class and what S.K was telling me.

"No. She was a peasant. I was a prince, first in line for the throne." I was in shock. He gave a grim smile and continued.

"I hated my parents more than you could possibly imagine. My parents where going to make me get married to an ugly-ass woman for an alliance. I was sixteen and rebelious at the time, so I fled into the woods, hiding myself for days. I was found by two enemys of my father a week later and taken back to their dungeons. I was brutally beaten and tourtured before they put me on the racks and stretch my body until I would be ripped in half." I winced at his casual use of the words.

"Elana was to be put to death before me, having said to have used unholy magic. But just as she was being tied to the stocks she broke free and sucked the blood of the exacutioner, before turning on me. She had only bit me, to turn me into one of her kind. and when I had woken, three days later, I had realized what I had become and hated myself. But Elana helped me get used to her lifestyle, the one that soon became my own. And I had fallen in love with her quickly. About a month after my changing we had eloped and amazingly she was pregnant."

"But, vampires-" He cut me off.

"Only in stories, Us real life ones are much simalar to people than a fantasy. Now, where was I...Ah, I remember! I was hunting a couple of weeks later with Elana when men of my father's guard had found me...and Elana. My father was so angered by our marriage that He burned Elana at the stake. I was in such a fury I had killed both my parents by nightfall and wandered off on my own." He looked over at me. "Understand why you have better luck than me now?"

"I'm sorry to hear that happened to you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's been a while. I can deal with the pain. Here's your house by the way. I looked over my shoulder. My house was there as he had said.

"Go, I'm hungry. I'm sure you are too." He told me.

"So...Are we friends?" I asked puzzled. He laughed.

"Only on my days off...Maybe on school days, I dunno depends on how much I wanna annoy you." He gave me one last smile and dispearred into the night. I walked into my house and was instanly screamed at. I let them yell at me, I deserved it. That night when I went to bed I dreamed of the middle ages instead of my dreams of Brendon. They weren't really good dreams, a lot of killing and flames accompinaed it, but at least I didn't wake up crying for once, that was a start.

**...**

**S.K's POV**

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Why'd the fuck I had to go and tell the runt everything?! I mean seriously, I'm supposed to kill her, not comfort her...

Was I comforting her? EWWWWWWW!! God, I sicken myself!

But am I friends with her? Hm...I guess friends comfort eachother...right? I wouldn't know...I never had any friends besides Elana...And she was my wife so that doesn't really count. I know one thing for sure though, I can't kill the little twelve year old. She's too funny. If anything I gotta keep her around just to mess with her. I sighed. I knew what I had to do.

"JOKKKKKKKEEERRRRRR!!" I sung as I walked into an abandoned fun-house...This dude seriously needs to find a less obvious location. I mean an idiot can figure out where he's hiding...I chuckled to myself. That means Junior's an idiot! HA!

"What are you laughing at Soren?" The Joker asks from behind me. I knew he was there trying to scare me. His stench is disgusting.

I turned to face him, "Inside joke. You wouldn't get it." Joker rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure I wouldn't...Now, what do you want?" He raised his eyebrow curiously at me.

"I want out. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm bored with it." I yawned for his benifit. He looked appalled.

"Excuse me?!" He shouted.

"I'm done, I don't feel like killing the Graysons. You're too redundant with plans on how to kill them too. I'll come back maybe when you have a proper plot." I walked out the door with out listening to what The Joker had to say next. A few henchman came after me within seconds. I killed them in even less time.

Grand...Now I'm on the Joker's hitlist...

**...**

**Mar'i's POV**

I awoke the next morning without a tear on my pillow. I smiled to myself. S.K was right. I needed to start moving on. My life wasn't nearly as bad as his by far, so I should be able to suck up my grief. I mean it'll always be there, I just needed to get past it.

I went through my daily routines and did something I hadn't done in a while. I slid down the railing to get downstairs. Titan tackled me and I wrestled with him, laughing happily. My dad looked over from his paper.

"Mar'i? Are you...laughing?!" He looked shocked. I nodded. He gave a small smile.

"Well, that's great. It's nice to see you happy again. Did your mom and my yelling scare you into happiness last night?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No, I just decided to start moving on with life, ya know? I'll always have grief for Brendon's death.." My smile quickly turned into a frown. "But, I can't change the past. I gotta start moving forward." He smiled and nodded.

"Good for you kid. Come on, I'll take you to school." He grabbed his keys and off we went.

I walked to my locker happily, though my arm still hurt a bit from the gunshot wound.

"Good morning Terrance!" I turned an smiled, brightly. He smiled back.

"Hey Mar'i! How have you been doing? You weren't in school for a couple of days and I was concerned."

"I'm fine now. I have priorites and friends. I can't spend my whole life grieving." I unlocked my locker and grabbed my books. "See ya later!" And I went to homeroom. I sat down and S.K was suddenly behind me.

"Hey Junior." He smiled. I smiled back.

"How's it going Killstreth?" He looked puzzled as to how I knew his last name. "I read your Arkham files the other day." He nodded. "What's your first name?" I asked. He stuck out his hand in mock proper greeting.

"My name is Crown Prince Soren Killstreth III. And you are madame?" He chuckled. I shook his hand.

"I am Crown Princess Mar'iand'r Grayson of Tamaran. It's a pleasure to meet you." We both started cracking up at our fake formalities.

"Your name is funny, " He told me when our laughter died to chuckles. "It's spelled so...weirdly."

"You want to talk about weird names try Soren. You can't get much weirder than that." We laughed again. That's mainly how we went about our day considering we had each class together. We were walking to biology, our last class, when somebody tapped me on the shoulder. S.K turned around first and, acting on instinct, punch the person in the face. I looked to see who he punched.

"TIM?!"

**...**

**Well That's all for now, HERE I COME LEGO BATMAN!! : D**

**Love Ya, **

**SuperJGirl5**


	7. A Return To Titan's Tower

**Well, um...HI!!**

**I kinda dunno what to write for today's author's note except LEGO BATMAN ROCKS MY SOCKS!!**

**To bad I don't own anything... or lego batman :( or febreeze or the sixth sense or anything else that is copyrighted...**

**...**

"Wait...He's a friend of yours?" S.K asked puzzled as he looked down at Tim on the floor clutching his nose.

"Yes he is! Why the hell did you do that S.K?" I yelled at him. I ran over to Tim's side and helped him up.

"Um...Honestly, I don't know..I just kinda smelt him and my fist acted before my brain did...I think..." He chuckled at himself, "I didn't hit him _hard, _just enough to give him a bloddy nose." I frowned at him and turned back to Tim.

"Are you okay? What are you even _doing_ here?" I asked as I checked out his nose. It was bleeding, I look away before my stomach reacted.

"I was actually sent by _you know who_ and I'm not talking Voldemort you Harry Potter nerd," he chuckled. "I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you." He looked up at who punched him. "Wait...Isn't he the guy you're after? And not in the good way...Like 'After' after, as in like killing, not like going out after-"

"Shut up Tim." I told him. He smiled.

"Um, so like, I gotta go...to biology...like now. BYE!" S.K started to turn around but Tim tripped him and S.K flipped out of the way and laughed.

"Ah, so you want a fight...I get it..." S.K swung at Tim, Tim dodged it quickly and threw a left hook, S.K ducked and pushed me into the crowd of spectators who were chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!". I rolled my eyes and watched, knowing I couldn't separate the two.

S.K threw a roundhouse kick that Tim ducked under with ease. Tim reached a hand out and grabbed S.K's arm and flipped him over his shoulder S.K, landed with ease and kicked Tim in the back. I winced as Tim hit the lockers.

I dimly heard sombody yell for a teacher but otherwise ignored any noise.

S.K laughed his evil piano laugh and Tim bounced off the wall and hit S.K in the gut.

"OUUUUUWWWWCCCCCHHH!" Tim whimpered as he grabbed his hand. I chuckled with S.K. Well... we laughed until the teachers came anyway. I looked around, everyone was gone except us three.

Crap.

...

"I'm shocked that this happened. Marie you're a young lady you shouldn't be throwing punches." Principal Damon scolded me, his gorgeous brown eyes furious. I looked down abashed.

"Dude, it really wasn't her fault. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," S.K tried to help me out. The principal turned to glare at him giving me a view of his perfect butt, I'm sorry to say it but he is HOT!

"You're already on my list Mr. Kenna so don't try anything funny." I chuckled under my breath at his forged record name. Kenna didn't suit him as well as Kilstreth. S.K smiled at Mr. Damon

"Just because I smoked ONE ciggeratte on campus, I apologized for it didn't I?"

"No...You blew smoke in my face and told me to stop 'bugging', whatever that means." He looked at S.K he grinned sheepishly.

"Blowing smoke, apologizing...Same thing to me." Mr. Damon's flawless face turned bright red in anger. He took a moment to compose himself and turned to Tim.

"I would expect more from you as well considiring this is your first day and Bruce Wayne recommended you specifically." S.K coughed and it sounded like 'paid you off'. I giggled quietly.

"Well, I don't want to suspend all three of you, it would look horrible on our school records. So detention for a month." Tim and I groaned S.K looked confused. He raised his hand.

"Yes Mr.Kenna?" He asked curiously.

"Can _I _be expelled and those two go free of no detentions...I did throw the first punch, and don't worry I'm okay with being a martyr for these two. I'll take the heat...seriously!"

"You get two months detention." He stated simply. S.K flipped a bitch.

"FUCK-NUGGETS!" He screamed and threw the empty chair across the room. It got stuck in the wall.

"Three months." Principal Damon growled.

"Bitch!" S.K said and stormed out.

"FOUR MONTHS DETENTION!" Mr. Damon called out the door.

S.K came back in and was about to say a string of curses when I quietly tried to stop him...It was a vain hope.

"Stop while you're ahead S.K" I whispered to him. He didn't listen.

"You know what?! Fuck this and you fucking mother!" He ran over to the principal's desk and flipped it. "I'm fucking quitting school! FUCK YOU!" He flipped the prinicpal, who was currently stunned, off and walked out pissed off big time. I looked over at Tim. He was in shock too.

"Should..." Mr. Damon cleared his throat, "Should I call his parents?" I shook my head. It wasn't like he had anybody to call anyway...

**... **

After school and my detention (most boring thing of my life) I searched around for that infamous odd hairstyle. I looked for about ten minutes until I heard my name being called.

"What do you want, Tim?" I sighed as he approached. He smiled happily, completely oblivious to my annoyance. He was part of the reason my perfect record was tarnished.

"I'm going over your house to talk to Ricky!" He replied happily. I rolled my yes at him.

"His name's Richard. And I'm not going home just yet. I'm looking for someone right now." I craned my head and looked around Tim. His face fell the tiniest bit.

"Oh? You have a boyfriend...I should have known. So um... Who is he?" He nudged me with his elbow playfully. I looked up exhasperated.

"I don't have a boyfirend. I'm looking for the kid who punched you in the face." I smiled grimly at the memory. I wanted to punch him right now myself.

His smile returned. "You don't have a boyfriend? That's great! I'm mean uh...That sucks." He then frowned, "That was S.K wasn't it? The guy who killed Brendon. Why is he still here?" His face grew serious and he looked more like my dad's version of Robin than Tim, the boy blunder.

I didn't have time to tell Tim that S.K wasn't bad anymore because an icy hand had grabbed me and ran. Everything went by in a blur and three seconds later I was at what used to be Titans Tower.

"What's with the giant 'T', love?" He asked polietly. I rolled my eyes again.

"It's Titans Tower. My parents used to live here when they were our age...Well, my age. It's an old superhero headquaters." I looked up at it with S.K in admiration.

"Well, It's my headquaters now," S.K stated plainly. "Considering I don't have a home anymore." He walked up to the door and pushed it open with ease, "Well, come on, then!" He ushered me inside.

It was dark and cold and smelled like old tofu. Dust clouded every inch of furniture in the main hallway. I looked around at my parents past in awe while S.K looked thoughtful.

"Hm... A little dusty, but it'll do great for me! Now I just gotta get a goddamned air freshner...Maybe Febreeze, this place smells like nasty gym socks." He wrinkled his pale nose in disgust.

I chuckled at him. "You're close. It's tofu, Mr. Logan eats that nasty stuff like religion." I smiled sadly, Brendon enjoyed tofu too, even though he perferred meat.

"Oh, stop moping Junior. Your negative thoughts are annoying." I nodded and tried to get rid of the lump that was in my throat. Then my curiosty got the better of me. "How did you know I was upset?"

He gave me a bright, beaming 100 watt-smile, "I was wondering when you would ask. I can hear negative thoughts. Only negative ones. So earlier today, when you were pissed off with Timmy boy, I heard every last one of those thoughts. And his negative thoughts when you said you were looking for someone. He was very, very upset," he mock pouted. "So I saved you the aggravation of dealing with him by taking you real-estate hunting with me!"

"So...only negative ones? That's odd..." I pondered for a moment, wondering if I should ask the question forming on my lips. "What could Elana do?"

"The exact oppisite of me," he frowned. "I don't know how in detail you want me to go into the whole 'vampire special powers' thingy, you might get freaked out..."

"No I won't! I'm fifteen years old, I'm not scared of horror stories anymore." He laughed at me pouting.

"You say fifteen like you're ancient. Try being a couple thousand years old, then we'll talk." He adjusted his sunglasses and became serious again. "I guess I'll tell you, it's not that big a deal...Okay...Um... You know that homo movie 'The Sixth Sense' and the dude's all like 'I see dead people?' Well, since I'm so much cooler, I hear dead people. I can hear Brendon telling me to say 'I love you' and 'Space monkeys'..Whatever the fuck THAT means, " I laughed at Brendon and my own inside joke. "To you every now and then but I kinda forget... Anywho, I'm also linked by mind with Elana, it happens when you're bitten by a vampire. Why? I don't know okay?" He smiled, knowing me well. "That's why I said her name when I was trying to kill you and you were like W.T.F? She was pestering me not to kill you. She's a great person when it comes to values. We have mental chit-chats a lot."

"Is that the reason why you were put in Arkham?" I asked.

He laughed, "One of many...So anywho, Elana. She's my oppisite, if you couldn't already tell from the 'good values' crap that's imprinted in her brain. Even our hair colors are oppisite, white and black. That was just a coincidence though. She can hear people's positive thoughts and can manipulate the mind of mortal humans." He spoke proudly of his wife and a tiny smile hinted at the corners of his mouth.

We had wandered aimlessly around the empty tower, sharing stories of his time and my own, for hours. We had finally reached the last door.

"The roof," I stated and we assended up the stairs.

"I like the view from up here, It's very...open." S.K said as we looked at Jump city's skyline. I skipped happily to the edge of the roof and sat down to look out at the setting sun, orange, pink, and gold dancing across the sea and sky.

"Yeah, it's nice up here. Dad told me this was his thinking spot." I gazed out at the ocean, lost in my thoughts and the salty smell of the ocean breeze.

"Well, well, well, isn't this touching...A nice friendship Kodak moment..These moments bring tears to my eyes." I turned at the new voice in the conversation.

"Joker," I hissed. He smiled brightly.

"Ding, ding ding! We have a winner! Let me tell you what you've won!" He laughed insanely and pulled his knife from his pocket. I stood at the edge, ready to leap if necassary.

"You brought me here to kill me?" My head whipped around to S.K

"No! I didn't- he wasn't- I'm not- Aw, fuck, you're not going to believe me anyways so what's the point in telling you." He folded his arms across his chest and watched the scene between the Joker and myself.

"Ha! You thought this was his plan?! To bring you all the way up here for me to kill you!? HAHAHA! He left to go on the 'good' side. But really, he's not that good at all, I don't know why he tries to be a hero when he always ends up the villian! HAHAHA!" The Joker walked towards me chuckling his knife glinting off the setting sun's rays. I was rooted to the spot, confused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him. S.K answered for him.

"I decided to get out of the Joker's stupid plan. It wasn't all that great. I'm trying to lay low for a while...No promises for that though." I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

"Why?" I looked quickly at the Joker slowly gaining steps on me and calculated the odds of flying away now. They weren't that great. I reached into the back pocket of my jeans to call the Titans as S.K went on.

"I want to stay out of Arkham. I'm too normal for a place like that." He laughed at himself. "Ha, me! Normal! HA!" He snorted lost in his own joke while the Joker rolled his eyes.

"Some people never get true comedy..." He muttered. He was close enough to be able to reach out with his knife and slice me in half but he didn't. He just kept coming closer. "Smile for the last time, baby bird. Death isn't as fun with a frown." My left foot teetered of the edge dangerously. I knew if I tried to fly now, I'd be sliced in half before I was two feet away. My right foot slipped off. I shifted my weight hoping vainly to stay on my left foot for a little while longer. The Joker laughed at me, his pale face plastered in that perment smile. I took a glance at S.K, He was holding his head in pain.

"SHUT THE HELL UP BOTH OF YOU!" He yelled falling to his knees. "Stop ganging up on me!"

My left foot shook as it tried to hang on and my eyes widened in fear. The Joker laughed and pushed me off the remainder of the tower. I drew a long breath and closed my eyes, falling actually wasn't that bad at all. It was only the sudden stop that would be painful. I grew nearer and nearer to the ground until I heard S.K call my name. I opened my eyes and notice just how close to the ground I was I flipped in the air once and landed on the ground with little grace.

"S.K JUMP!" I called to him. I didn't get a response back.

"Mar'i! Mar'i" I turned to Wally's voice. He was running toward me the rest of the Titans in tow. "What's going on? Why are you at the Tower? Why are you still in your school uniform?" He cocked his head to the side his blue eyes sparkling with confusion.

"Don't have time to explain," I told him shifting into 'leader' mode. "A friend needs our help. TITANS GO!" We all ran up to the roof to see some of what must have been an intense battle.

S.K had multiple tears on his shirt and on his skin, blood trickling down sickeningly and unhealthily. With the amount of blood on the ground he should have been way past dead. But then again, it is S.K I'm talking about. One of the lenses in his sunglasses were gone, showing his angered red eyes, the other lense was cracked. His fangs were more pronounced than I had ever seen (granted, I had only seen them up close once) while a hiss rang out in his vocal chords. His left, bloodied, arm looked broken in serveral places.

The Joker looked like he was in a lot worse pain than S.K, yet less blood showed on his part. I think the only thing that was actually bleeding were his nose and mouth, everything else looked bruised, broken, or smashed. I'm guessing S.K had done that to keep himself out of temptation's way. To make sure he wouldn't lose himself to the scent of blood. He wanted The Joker to suffer. The Joker's right arm looked more like a piece of flab than a structered arm, I could see four fractures automatically. His ribs were in danger of punctering his lungs and his right leg was limp. The Joker's clothes were tattered and slightly bloodied but he continued to fight S.K as best he could. His smile was the only thing still perfectly in place.

"You're going to have to do better than that to kill me!" He chortled as S.K threw a right hook that The Joker dodged easily.

"I'm not going to kill you. Hell's too good of a place for a piece of shit like you." S.K threw back at him, kicking him in the stomach mercilessly. The Joker flew five feet across the roof almost falling off it until his left arm grabbed ahold of the edge tightly. Everyone but April and S.K ran to the edge. The Joker looked up an apologetic smile on his face.

"Mar'i, Mar'i, you know I was only joking! A bit of a laugh is good for a person you know!" He gulped as he looked down and his words became more rushed, "Honestly this was really all S.K's idea! I swear! He's a double agent!" I stepped on his hand and he winced.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you're hand off right now?" I asked him, he gave a nervous chuckle.

"Because you're too good of a person to kill somebody else!" He told me. He had me there. But I wasn't going to let that get to me.

"You killed Brendon, tried to kill my entire family and you expect me to let you live?" I asked disbelievingly. He nodded quickly. "You're wrong." And I kicked his hand off the edge. He let out a wail of fear- -

A pale hand shot out and grabbed his right arm.

"April?" Miki questioned astonished. April said nothing, she tucked a strand of her long, straight, violet hair and pulled The Joker up.

"We're heros," She said, her wind-chime voice quiet. "However evil they may be, no matter who they kill," she looked over at me, her jade eyes sorrowful. I winced slightly as I realized that I let Brendon's true murderer be known in front of everyone. "No matter what wrong they do, we're supposed to let them live." She pulled The Joker back onto the edge. He smiled thankfully.

"You are a saint! A heroine! A true pure spirit! Thank you so much! And goodbye!" He quickly pulled out his knife and stabbed her in the stomach, then pushed her off the edge of the Tower.

"APRIL!" We all screamed in unison.

**... ... ... ...**

**Well, major cliffy there! Katie wants to kill me for leaving it off there and I'm sure most of you guys do to. SORRY!**

**Love Ya,**

**SuperJGirl5**


	8. That Little Green Monster

**HELLO WORLD AND ALL WHO HAVE INTERNET ACSESS!!**

**Katie's being mean again... **:'-**( Will my torture ever cease?**

**Don't own a thing in my story.**

It happened very quickly then.

S.K had dove off the tower shoving The Joker harshly out of his way, while we watched in horror.

April fell swiftly down S.K gaining speed behind her. S.K's posture was as smooth as a bullet. He reached a pale hand and caught her wrist before pulling her in to hold her. They neared the ground so, to brake his fall, he did a quick flip to and landed wrongly on his back.

I looked behind me and The Joker was gone. Everyone followed my vision, each one blaming the other for not keeping an eye on him. I heard another crack from below and looked over the edge to see S.K staggering to get up, April in his arms.

"We have to get her some help," He stated simply, his hand on her stomach. I nodded and grabbed ahold of her shoulder, S.K's icy grip stopped me.

* * *

"I've got her," He told me and stood up. I nodded and let him take her all the way to the hospital wondering idly about his newfound protection over my aubergine haired friend.

* * *

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

"That clock is really fucking annoying!" S.K said angerly. I had to agree. That's all we've been hearing for the past three hours. We had arrived at the hospital as quickly as we could and they rushed April into the ER as fast as they could. The team and I have been waiting scared and quiet up until now.

"This is my fault..." I spoke quietly to myself. Grief washing over me. I've managed to kill my two best friends in the whole world from one stupid idiotic mistake after another. I am a shame to the Grayson/And'r name. Silent tears slid down my cheeks.

"Oh, shut up!" S.K looked at me angerly, " None of this was your fault okay miss dramatic! GOD! Your mind can be so annoying sometimes! You didn't do anything wrong! And I swear Elana if you don't shut up right now I'm going to--"

"Um, excuse me sir," An aged nurse looked up at him with concerned. S.K's eyes blazed and his jaw locked but he managed to control himself.

"Yes, ma'am? Is there anything I can help you with?" He smiled, flashing his teeth.

"Do you need medical assistance...you're bleeding on..the um...floor." Everyone looked down, and sure enough there was a small puddle of blood.

"Oh...Would you look at that? I am! Hang on just a second ma'am." He twisted his arm in an odd way, along with many of his other body parts, for a few seconds and when he was finsihed, he looked perfectly normal...Well for S.K anyway. "There you go ma'am. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." The nurse blessed herself quickly and fled from the room as fast as she could. S.K shrugged. "I get that a lot..."

"Mar'i...Um, are you okay?" I turned my head to look at Tim.

"Yeah, I think...Just worried ya know?" I gave a sad smile. He bent down so he was eye level with me.

"It's going to be alright. April will get through this." He seemed so sure of his words. I smiled at him, I think it was the first genuine smile I've ever given him.

"S.K where'd you get the V8?" Miki asked from across the room. Had S.K left? I didn't noticed. I turned my head away from Tim's eyes and looked at S.K....He had V8 in a cup with a blue bendy straw. Hm, I didn't know S.K drank--

No, he didn't...He wouldn't have...

S.K flashed me a quick smile in that 'cat got the cream' sort of way and I knew what was going on.

That drink was very far from V8....It was blood. I gaged slightly.

"Um...yeah, I got it from that nurse lady from a couple of minutes ago. Wanna sip?" He lied quickly.

"NO!" I screamed. Miki looked at me wide-eyed.

"Why not?" She asked in a small voice.

"Um...Because of germs...Yeah! S.K's really sick!" I lied lamely.

"Whatever..." Miki said and rolled her eyes.

I glared at him, sending over my negitive thoughts.

_S.K! PLEASE tell me you didn't drink that nice Nurse's blood!_

**_Wow...Are we like mind talking?! AWESOME! And no...I didn't...There was a blood bank and I was parched._**

_Are we? I didn't know you could do this...And EW! That's sick! Why would you offer that to Miki?! _

I walked over to a chair and sat down staring into space, to make our conversation not obvious. S.K looked down at his "V8".

**_I guess we are. And I can do this because I'm amazing! I didn't think Miki would actually want some anyway. So, what's Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding's problem with me?_**

_Huh?_

**_Timmy-boy. What's his deal? He keeps thinking such negitive thoughts._**

I looked up to see him lift his chin in Tim's direction slightly. Tim was facing the opposite way, his back to me.

_I don't know honestly, why? What has he been thinking?_

"You're very lucky, Marie. Not a moment too late, April is in stable condition right now. But, as a doctor I have to ask what happened?" Doctor Wizzler asked me curiously. I stammered, trying to find a likely story. Lying wasn't my forte.

"Well...You see Doctor...Wait, what's your name again?" S.K interjected quickly, giving me a frown. He must've noticed how I couldn't fit a story together quickly.

"I'm Doctor Thomas Wizzler." He stated. S.K's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

" As in T. Wizzler?" The doctor nodded confused. S.K bursted out laughing.

"T. WIZZLER! LIKE TWIZZLER!" S.K chortled holding on to my shoulder for support.

"I suppose so," Doctor Wizzler rolled his eyes. "So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Yeah, ya see...We were in a not so good part of town right? And dear sweet April took a wrong turn down an alley away from the rest of us. She told us she thought it would be a quicker way to her house. But, as she walked by herself she was jumped by a large group of men who were looking for trouble. Meanwhile, Miki over there noticed she still had one of April's bags from shopping earlier that day so we all ran down the alley and found her cornered by the men. They knew they were outnumbered when they saw us so the quickly stabbed her and ran away," S.K lied smoothly. If I hadn't known any better I would have believed him myself.

"I see. Well she'll be fine, you can go in and see her if you'd like," he said and left us quickly. He was probably afraid of the way S.K acted. Hell, sometimes I was.

"Alright, we're heading in. You coming Marie?" Wally asked. I shook my head.

"I need a minute to myself. Go on in though," I told them and sat down on one of the many blue plastic chairs. They all nodded and went in. As soon as the double doors closed I put my head in my hands and cried.

"You alright?" I turned around S.K popped out from next to the vending machine.

"No," I told him honestly. I couldn't bear it anymore. First an successful attack on Brendon, now his younger sister. And it's all my fault, I keep putting them in harms way and stand there and watch like a deer caught in headlights. How was I supposed to be a hero when no matter what I'd somebody gets hurt?

S.K sat down next to me and said nothing, even though he could probably hear every thought running through my head. His icy hand was comforting as he touched my shoulder empathetically. After a long silence (apart from my sobs) he spoke softly for the first time to me.

"Everything will be fine," he soothed, I cried harder at his lie. "Things always will get worse before they get better. You can't let your...guilt for what's going on like, strangle you by the neck. You just gotta roll with the punches ya know?" I looked up at him questionably.

"When did you become Mr. Sensitive?" I asked through my tears. He acted mock-hurt and put a hand dramatically to his chest.

"I have feelings! How dare you say I can't be sensitive!" He faux-scolded at me, I guess he was trying to cheer me up, which it did because I let out a small giggle.

"Right...I'm sure..." I told him. He gave me a genuine smile that showed all his pearly whites, fangs inclueded.

"I do! You just never notice how sweet and loving I can be!" I smiled back, finally done crying.

"S.K...I just...Thank you," I said softly and flung my arms around him in a hug. He stiffened.

"Uh....Awkward..." He mumbled. I looked up he tilted his head towards the double doors. Tim stood there frozen in place, eyes wide in shock. I distangled myself from him quickly and S.K chuckled under his breath.

"So...I was just coming to get some Snickers...But...yeah...I think I'll go now..." Tim mumbled, embarrassed. S.K laughed.

"Yeah, that'd be best, even though hugging is a totally acceptable way to show a friend appreciation for doing something nice. Do you want to stay and see me kiss her on the cheek as a 'you're welcome'?" S.K drapped an arm casually over my shoulder and Tim looked enraged.

"No. I'm fine thank you." Tim replied curtly.

"You sure? I could plant a big ol' wet one right on her cute little mouth." He chortled. Tim looked embarrassed for a moment and then enraged as he grabbed his coat and left without even saying goodbye to me. Rude much?

* * *

I arrived home after visiting April around ten o'clock. I opened the door to see my Dad and Tim in conversation, Titan sitting at my Dad's feet. At the sound of my entrance my Dad smiled and gave a little wave and Tim glared. I waved to my Dad and pretended I didn't noticed Tim's piercing gaze as I walked up the stairs.

I closed the door in my room and locked it. I ran to my bed and grabbed the Diary I had hidden there. I opened it up to a new page and began writing down my thoughts:

_Dear Diary,_

_I feel terrible! April got stabbed and it's all my fault! :'-( __the Joker's being worse than ever, ever since S.K went AWOL. I dunno what I'm going to do! But she's in stable condition so she'll be okay, I think. When I went to visit her she was sleeping so I decided not to bother her. Hopefully, we can restore what's left of our friendship, but I don't know if she should be friends with someone like me anyway...In other news, S.K is turning out to be a good friend. He's a little bit of a douchebag sometimes, but I'm sure he'll get better. Well, peace out._

_-Mar'i_

_

* * *

_

**Well, that's it for now! I made it long for not updating in so long! SORRY! **

**Love Ya,**

**CompanyXLovesXMisery**


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